Footballer Cristiano Ronaldo‘s mother has been rushed to hospital after suffering a stroke, reports in her native Madeira claimed today.
Mother-of-four Dolores Aveiro is said to have been admitted to Dr Nelio Mendonca Hospital in her native island of Madeira just after 5am this morning.
Local media say she is ‘conscious and stable.’ She is due to undergo new tests in the next few hours to determine her state of health.
One local report says she has suffered an ischemic stroke, caused by a blood clot that blocks or plugs a blood vessel in the brain.
This is the most common type of stroke.
At the start of last year Dolores revealed she was ‘fighting for her life’ after a new cancer drama.
She recovered from breast cancer after being diagnosed with the disease in 2007.
MORE STORIES:
In 2009, then-Manchester United star Ronaldo donated £100,000 to build a new cancer centre at the hospital where his mother was treated.
But in February last year ahead of a trip to Italy to celebrate her son’s 35th birthday she admitted to new health problems.
She told a Portuguese TV station in a interview: ‘I was operated on another breast in Madrid, I’ve had radiotherapy and now I’m fighting for my life.’
There has been no official comment from the hospital today, and there was no immediate response to the news from the footballer’s representatives in Portugal.
Two days ago, Dolores had looked happy and relaxed as she posed for the photo by a monument in Machico, a small city on Madeira’s east coast.
The 65-year-old, who has more than two million followers on Instagram, wrote alongside the photo: ‘Happy Sunday to everyone.’
Her daughter Katia responded with a heart image and the words: ‘My darling mum.’ A follower responded: ‘Happy Sunday to you too Dolores. You’re looking very nice.’
The previous day she posted another photo thought to have been taken from the roof terrace of her home on the island with a message saying: ‘Good weekend to everyone.
‘Take advantage of this sun to enjoy a stroll, but don’t forget to protect your eyes with sunglasses.’
Dolores has been a devoted follower of her son’s career, frequently celebrating on the pitch with him after his footballing triumphs.
‘Ronaldo would not be where he is without his mother,’ said Francisco Afonso, Ronaldo’s first coach at the small local club CF Andorinha, in 2015.
Last year, Dolores stood firmly by her son’s side when he was accused of rape in a now-abandoned criminal investigation.
She said last February that she had ‘confidence in my son when it comes to what happened’ duringthe stay in Las Vegas at the centre of the claim.
The mother-of-four also lashed out at Ronaldo’s American accuser, saying she ‘didn’t go to his hotel room to play cards’.
Ronaldo is due to play in an Italian cup semi-final against AC Milan on Wednesday evening.
The 35-year-old was born in Madeira and began his youth career there before moving to Sporting Lisbon.